Imperial Navy
The Imperial Navy 'is one of the armed forces of the Imperium of Man. While the Imperial Guard represents the Imperium's ground forces, the Imperial Navy is responsible for the fleets of starships that maintain order between the stars and planets in the Imperium, for all space and air support provided to the infantry of the Imperial Guard, and for transporting those Guardsmen across the galaxy to the Imperium's myriad warzones. The battlefleets of the Imperial Navy are constantly engaging threats both inside and outside the Imperium's borders. Battlefleet Deus Battlefleet Deus is a fleet of Imperial Navy vessels charged with the protection of the Sector Deus. Battlefleet Deus is one of the Frontier Fleets that defend the Northern Galactic reaches of the Imperium of Man. It is a part of the massive Battlefleet Obscurus which operates in Segmentum Obscurus. Battlefleet Deus itself is split into multiple Battlegroups, each one under the command of an Admiral and assigned to certain subsector/s. 'Current composition of Battlefleet Deus *'Emperor Class Battleship ''Unbreakable' :::Flagship of Battlefleet Deus. The ''Unbreakable ''dates back to the reclamation crusade in M37 where it served as Saint Belisarius' own flagship, and has nobly served the Sector ever since. Among its more famous endeavours is the prosecution of the Xo'nad worlds, where its waves of attack craft and long-ranged macrocannons engaged the xenos fleet at such a distance that their own plasma-based weapons were ineffective. More recently the Unbreakable under command of '''Lord Admiral Hagen' desolated a Dark Eldar pirate fleet that had been harrying the Sector. Under the Lord Admiral's skilled command his bombers - led by Attack Craft Captain Keryl Mardon - overwhelmed the small xenos ships whilst they were prevented from escaping by a cordon of long-range macrocannons and lances. To defend the Unbreakable against fast raiders and attackers when her Attack Craft complement is far off, the Unbreakable is always accompanied by a heavy escort squadron of two light cruisers, the Endeavour-class Erudite and the Endurance-class Eminent. *'Retribution Class Battleship ''Alexios Komnenos' :::A truly ancient vessel that was transferred to Sector Deus in late M38 after Battlefleet Solar mothballed it in favour of a freshly made hull. Earliest records of this ships exploits date back to M34 where it served in the Pacification of Atheca and the scouring of the Gek homeworlds. Since its transfer to Battlefleet Deus the ''Komnenos has served as the flagship of Battlegroup Tyranus and over the centuries has claimed dozens of capital-ship class kills and hundreds of escorts seeking to escape The Grave. The scions of chaos across Deus and its neighbouring sectors curse the name Alexios Komnenos. She is currently commanded by Admiral Amos Hefin, and her best company of Naval Stormtroopers is led by Lt. Johann Shrike. *'Vengeance Class Grand Cruiser ''Stellaris' :::The ''Stellaris has served in Battlefleet Deus since the reclamation crusade, and has avoided being mothballed like many Grand Cruisers due to the relative shortage of new capital ships in the sector. During the crusade itself it served as an escort for the Unbreakable, and in the millenia since has led Tyranus Patrol Group Primus, the chief guards of the Grave who constantly patrol the rim of the warp storm. Stellaris has claimed few capital ship class kills as their detection usually signals an impending attack on Malta, so the patrol group returns to the rest of the fleet to report. But to any escort-class ships trying to escape the grave their ultimate fear is encountering the Stellaris and its wingmen, and the long-range macrocannons of this Grand Cruiser are covered in escort-class kill markings. Tyranus Patrol Group Primus is currently commanded by Commodore François Chatelíon. *'Vengeance Class Grand Cruiser ''Spear of Destiny' :::This Grand Cruiser was originally owned by the Belisarian Dynasty and guarded their palace on Tachion Primaris for millenia, but when the dynasty fell from power the remnants sold the vessel off to the Imperial Navy before moving permanently to Templos. The ''Spear of Destiny continues to guard the Sector capital to this day, maintaining orbit above the hive world and driving away any who would dare venture close without authorisation. *'Mars Class Battlecruiser ''Prosecutor' ::: The ''Prosecutor is a venerable vesel that has served as the flagship of Battlegroup Adamantis for millenia. This ship has defended the galactic rim from Cygnus cluster xenos since before the M37 Reclamation Crusade, and has claimed an incalculable number of the esoteric xenos' voidcraft over its long service as its nova cannon & bomber squadrons - currently led by Commander Dana Loria - cause havoc among their relatively small ships. The Prosecutor is always accompanied by Shield Squadon, composed of 5 Cobra-class Destroyers, and is currently commanded by Admiral Cyra Xerant. *'Mars Class Battlecruiser ''Hoplite' ::: ''Hoplite is the flagship of Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian and has primarily seen duty against the ork empires near the subsector rim. Amongst its greatest exploits was in early M39 when the greenskins deployed a ramshackle battleship from Drohia. Hoplite chipped away at the colossal vessel from afar with its nova cannon as its escorts held off ork attackers, and once the orknoid battleship was crippled the Hoplite closed-in and obliterated the vessel with waves of bomber craft. The Hoplite is currently commanded by Vice Admiral Kavan Stowford, though Admiral Ona Pelial takes command of her for true fleet battles. *'Armageddon Class Battlecruiser ''Reverent Spirit' :::The ''Reverent Spirit was originally a Lunar-Class Cruiser that was hulked during the Third Ionian Crusade and rebuilt with a superior plasma reactor and upgraded weapons systems. It found little use as a patrol ship due to the vessel's now-cramped conditions, and remained as part of Athena Prime's defence fleet for several decades before the Iron Monks managed to install a Captain loyal to them abord the Battlecruiser. Haran Dreifus took advantage of this Captain's loyalty and convinced him to take part in the Betrayal at Varda. But Dreifus lost the battle and fled with the Reverent Spirit, remaining fugitive for almost ten years before the Ghosts of Retribution tracked him down. Easily siezing the vessel from it's demoralised crew (whose mutiny had only been staved off by the religious rhetoric of the skilled orator Dreifus), the Chapter arrested Dreifus and sold the Battlecruiser back to its original owners, the Imperial Navy. She currently serves once again in Athena Prime's defence fleet ready to respond to any threat, as the Armageddon-class is ill suited to patrol work. *'4 Overlord Class Battlecruisers' **''Iron Will ''- Part of the Core Worlds Battlegroup. Currently on permanent assignment to Oskea under the command of Captain Tangent Grey. **''Forthright Intervention'' - Part of Battlegroup Tyranus, and commanded by Vice Admiral Van Daur. Was involved in heavy conflict with Styrian Triarchy forces near the Kruun system, where she hulked an enemy capital ship and five enemy escort squadrons with her wingmen. Was heavily damaged and was docked until 361.M41 for repairs. **''Pillar of the Righteous'' - Flagship of Battlegroup Ionium/Aeternus/Dominus (IDA). Admiral Agemmar Tenso commands from her bridge. *'3 Styx Class Heavy Cruisers' **''Furor Eternum'' - Part of Battlegroup Tyranus, Furor Eternum has defended the worlds of the subsector with its attack craft for millennia. *'3 Hades Class Heavy Cruisers' **''Drakovich ''- The origins of this ancient heavy cruiser have been lost to the dark mists of time, but it has served the Core Worlds Battlegroup since the reclamation crusade. Its high speed often sees it assigned to pirate hunting and the numerous pirate havens that it has reduced to cinders over the centuries has given the Drakovich a dark reputation. The Drakovich is currently commanded by Commodore Strant Marsdan. *'15 Lunar Class Cruisers' **''Battleborn ''- Patrol ship in Battlegroup Ionium/Dominus/Aeternus (IDA). Currently commanded by Captain Havern Locke. **''Lux Adamantis* - Cruiser in Battlegroup Adamantis. Currently on a long patrol around the Subsector's trade routes under the command of '''Commodore Nadia Xerant'. **''Laodicea'' - Cruiser in Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian. Famed for its actions during the ork invasion of Triot, where she decimated several squadrons of ork escorts and thus provided safe passage for dozens of evacuation craft. Many saved by Laodicea would go on to name their children in her honour, resulting in 'Laodicea' or variations thereof becoming a common name in Subsector Meridian. **''Perdition's Herald'' - Cruiser of the Core Worlds Battlegroup. Gained fame during the thirteen rebellions for single-handedly hulking the entire System Defence Fleet of Karn Dereg, the Commander of which had staged a coup and was trying to force the planet to secede from the Imperium. *'4 Gothic Class Cruisers' **''Vorpal'' - Line cruiser in Battlegroup Adamantis. Was originally a Lunar-class but was retrofitted into a Gothic-class in the early 350s.M41. She is currently commanded by Captain Andreus Storr. **''Luminary'' - Cruiser in Battlegroup Tyranus. The Luminary is well-known for defeating a group of flanking Chaos escorts in defence of Malta during a large-scale incusion from The Grave in 850.M41. The Luminary braved massive close-range firepower to plow between the escorts and unleash both broadsides, hulking several escorts in a single salvo and taking heavy damage in the process. *'3 Tyrant Class Cruisers' **''Deflagrator'' - Cruiser in Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian. The Deflagrator is famous for - during a border skirmish with orknoids over Volitair in 281.M41 - blowing a kill kroozer to pieces with its short range weapons batteries while simultaneously destroying a ramship that was about to make contact with the Hoplite with its long range plasma macros. In reward for her skill the Deflagrator was subsequently equipped with full broadsides of Mars-pattern plasma weapons salvaged from an old Murder-class cruiser hulk. *'3 Dictator Class Cruisers' **''Korgrim's Spirit'' - Cruiser in the Core Worlds Battlegroup. Named after Lord Admiral Korgrim, who was the first Lord Admiral of Battlefleet Deus after Saint Belisarius' reclamation crusade. *'3 Dominator Class Cruisers' **''Malleus'' - Cruiser in Battlegroup Tyranus. Malleus ''is famed for the accuracy of her machine-spirit and by extension her crew. She is most well-known as the primary wingman of the ''Alexios Komnenos, sniping enemy ships at long range with her Nova Cannon and softening them up for the Battleship's tremendous firepower to finish off. *'7 Endeavour Class Light Cruisers' **''Harmony's Roar'' - Convoy escort in Battlegroup Tyranus. Harmony's Roar helps defend vital supply convoys that travel between Malta and the Freya System. She is famous for landing the crippling blow on a Murder-class Cruiser that dared to attack one of her convoys, driving it away. **''Erudite'' - In concert with the Endeavour-class Light Cruiser Eminent, the Erudite serves in the core worlds battlegroup as a heavy escort for the Unbreakable. *'3 Endurance Class Light Cruisers' **''Eminent'' - Along with her sister ship, the Endeavour-class Light Cruiser Erudite, the Eminent keeps the Unbreakable defended from would-be attackers. *'32 Dauntless Class Light Cruisers' **''Blade of Vengeance'' - Patrol ship of Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian and favoured ship of Admiral Pelial. Blade of Vengeace's archeotech plasma drive and energistic conversion matrix (an archeotech power relay that funnels power to the engines from the warp drive when it is not in-use) give her a tremendous speed, eclipsing even most Raiders. **''Starfury'' - Lead ship of patrol group Starfury ''in Battlegroup IDA. Accompanied by ''Starfury Squadron of 4 Sword-class Frigates. **''Victoria'' - Patrol group leader in the Core Worlds Battlegroup. Victoria has claimed many raiders foolish enough to attempt piracy upon convoys within the Core Worlds, snapping raiders in two with her prow lance as her wingmen - the Victoria Squadron of 5 Cobra Destroyers - sweep in fast to shatter wolfpacks with their torpedoes. **''Lex Imperator'' - Patrol group leader in Battlegroup Tyranus. Lex Imperator gained famed for destroying the Slaughter-class Cruiser Gutwrencher as it attempted to escape the Grave, with the assistance of the Lex Imperator Squadron of 4 Sword-class Frigates. **''Jackal'' - Patrol group leader in Battlegroup Adamantis. Jackal is a deep space patrol vessel, venturing beyond the sector rim into the Halo Zone to scout/assess the region and serve as an early warning for any threats emerging from the galactic rim. She is accompanied by Jackal Squadron of 4 Sword-class Frigates. **''Lord Belisarius'' - Patrol group leader in Core Worlds Battlegroup, and named after the Sector Governor when she was laid down in 040.M38. The Lord Belisarius is a consummate predator who has pursued marauders across the sector and beyond to ensure their destruction, and she is most famous for striking the killing blow upon the chaos Hades-class Heavy Cruiser Storm of Blood after hunting the near-crippled vessel over a thousand lightyears coreward. She travels with the Belisarius Squadron of 4 Firestorm-class Frigates, giving patrol group'' Belisarius'' a fearsome frontal lance profile. **''Danam's Lance'' - Leader of patrol group Danam in Battlegroup IDA and named after the then-Planetary Governor of Erba where she was constructed. Danam's Lance patrols the extensive intersecting warp routes of Subsector Aeternus with Danam Squadron of five Cobra-class Destroyers, and has apprehended countless smugglers and fugitives over her service. **''Vigil I'' & Vigil II - These two Dauntless' make up patrol group Vigil of Battlegroup Tyranus, dedicated to patrolling the Grave and crushing any small raiding parties trying to escape. Vigil I's vicious lances & launch bays and Vigil II's devastating torpedo tubes & macrocannons are a potent array of weapons, and they have claimed many escorts and light cruisers between them. **''King Aurelian'' - Patrol ship in the Core Worlds Battlegroup. She was built over seven years in orbit above the feudal world of Dirr from materials harvested by the primitive natives, and named after the then-planetary governor. Accompanied by Aurelian Squadron of 4 Sword-class Frigates. *'85 Escort Squadrons' **''Amber Squadron'' - Patrol squadron of Battlegroup IDA that took part in Operation Wild Hunt. Composed of 4 Sword-class Frigates. **''Starfury Squadron'' - Squadron of patrol group Starfury in Battlegroup IDA. Composed of 4 Sword-class Frigates. **''Pouncer Squadron*'' - Cruiser escort squadron in Battlefleet Adamantis. Currently accompanying Lux Adamantis on its patrol. Composed of 4 Sword-class Frigates. **''Blaze Squadron*'' - Rapid response squadron in Battlefleet Adamantis. Spends most of their time above Praetor IX awaiting distress signals to respond to. Composed of 4 Firestorm-class Frigates. **''Shield Squadron'' - Cruiser escort squadron that accompanies the Prosecutor in Battlefleet Adamantis, protecting it from marauding ordnance and rapid strike vessels. Composed of 5 Cobra-class Destroyers. **''Hand of Saint Luripedes Squadron'' - Extended operations squadron in Battlegroup Adamantis. Gained fame for hunting down a wolfpack of chaos reavers from The Grave in a tireless seven month game of cat & mouse. Composed of 6 Sword-class Frigates. **''Pilium Squadron'' - Offensive fleet squadron in Battlegroup Tyranus. Notable for hulking the chaos Murder-class cruiser Voracious in a daring flank attack. Composed of 4 Firestorm-class Frigates. **''Ragnarok Squadron'' - Torpedo squadron in the Core Worlds Battlegroup. The highly trained Ragnarok Squadron is kept equipped with powerful torpedo variants and seeking guidance systems. They are most famous for dealing a crippling salvo to the Orknoid battleship Dakkalord, their melta torpedoes burning deep into its hull. Composed of 6 Cobra-class Destroyers. The current leader of Ragnarok Squadron is Captain Bernarde Sauvac. **''Harrier Squadron'' - Torpedo squadron in Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian. Harrier squadron has conducted hit & run attacks on orknoid raiders around Ord, Remgar, and Drohia for centuries, acquiring an impressive kill tally. Composed of 5 Cobra-class Destroyers. **''Children of Faith Squadron'' - Cruiser escort squadron in Battlegroup IDA. Defended the Pillar of the Righteous from suicidal heretic attack runs during the Third Ionian Crusade. Composed of 4 Sword-class Frigates. **''Vengeance Squadron'' - Offensive fleet squadron in Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian. Christened in the wake of the fall of Triot in the shpyards of Gradburg, the machine spirits of Vengeance Squadron are said to have a hatred for orknoid vessels, and have hulked many during their service. Composed of 4 Firestorm-class Frigates. *'20 Viper-class Scout Sloops' **''Starcatcher'' - Scout sloop in Battlegroup Tyranus. Named for the (unproven) rumour that she can catch a shooting star, Starcatcher ''runs long solo patrols around The Grave. This dangerous duty has alerted the Imperial Navy to innumerable chaos incursions, and because of this ''Starcatcher ''is a much-beloved vessel despite her lack of battle honours. **Eye of the Almighty'' - Scout sloop in the Core Worlds Battlegroup. Eye of the Almighty serves mostly as a pursuit vessel, tracking pirates and raiders to their hides before calling the Drakovich to destroy them utterly. Due to this sightings of the Eye of the Almighty are considered very bad omens amongst merchant (and sometimes navy) crews in the Core Worlds. **''Queen Orelai'' - Scout sloop in Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian, and named after a planetary governor of Doria IV. The Queen Orelai was vital in scouting the orknoid waaagh that fell upon Triot and locating every outlying vestige of its fractured fleet for the Navy to crush piecemeal. *'4 Universe-class Mass Conveyors' **''Unfathomable'' - This colossal transport is one of the oldest vessels in the sector, and its deep forgotten bowels contain societies of countless thousands. These bilge-dwelling savages are occasionally recruited by Imperial Guard regiments as they travel aboard the Unfathomable. *'220 Galaxy-class Heavy Transports' **''Wages of Labour'' - As much a mobile prison as it is a transport. Wages of Labour is almost entirely crewed by massive banks of enslaved criminals, mostly pirates or navy ratings found guilty of severe crimes. The existence of hellish prison slaveships like Wages of Labour serves as a deterrent to those who might defy Imperial & Naval law. She is currently commanded by the tyrannical Commander Frederick Anaheim. **''Void Marcher'' - A troop transport, the Void Marcher has a reputation as an exceptionally reliable ship. Not once in her fourteen hundred year history has she suffered a warp mishap or had a critical system fail. Many consider the ship blessed, and regiments travelling aboard her maintain far higher levels of morale and discipline during their voyage. *'~500 Standard Transports' **''Leatherback'' - This unassuming Jericho-class Materiel Hauler is famous for ramming and destroying an Iconoclast-raider that was harrying her convoy whilst escorts were distracted by other threats. **''Anabelle'' - This apparently Vagabond-class Troop Transport is in fact a Q-ship that has claimed a large number of enemy would-be raiders, ranging from chaos reavers to orknoid raiders. 'Notable former vessels of Battlefleet Deus' *'Endeavour-class Light Cruiser ''Austere Sacrament' - Former fleet cruiser in battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian. Austere Sacrament has gone toe-to-toe with orknoid vessels around Volitair for centuries. She is currently commanded by Captain Sylvia Armande, who captained her with honour for several decades. However in early 349.M41 Capt. Armande - following a fierce void battle with orks - fled the system with her vessel and has not been seen since. Assumed renegade, Armande has been declared a mutineer and her ship stricken from the rolls of honour until it is reclaimed by a loyal crew. *'Mars-class Battlecruiser Spear of Penthesilea' - This venerable ship played a vital role in the Third Ionian Crusade, being the only capital ship to escape the initial ambush of Ionian forces at Faith's Rock and warn the rest of the Sector. She was reduced to a drifting hulk during the final naval confrontation over Astrobel and disappeared into the void before she could be recovered. *'Murder-class Cruiser Bloodrager (formerly the Fellhanded)' - An ancient vessel that served Battlefleet Deus during the infancy of the Imperium, in early M34 her crew turned to chaos and fled into The Grave - but not before destroying her own unsuspecting escort squadron to the last ship. The subject of a hundred oaths of vengeance, the ''Bloodrager has been encountered in battle on several occasions, always escaping back to The Grave just before its deserved fate can be met. It is believed to currently be under the control of the Sworn Sons warband. *'Hades-class Heavy Cruiser ''Troya's Razor' - This powerful warship was once a mainstay of Malta's defensive fleet, but some time during the long storm of M36 it went missing. In M38 it was found in the company of a fleet of chaos ships from the Grave and has been among the most powerful chaos ships in the the Grave ever since. *'Lunar-class Cruiser Schwermacht' - This ship was only 70 years into her service when - in 266.M41 - she was attacked en masse by a fleet of unified pirate wolfpacks while on patrol and stolen. For several years the ''Schwermacht was a severe threat to Imperial shipping despite the best efforts of the Imperial Navy, but - as expected - the unity of her commanders did not last. The Shcwermacht was last seen in 272.M41 in the deep void near Tartarus, in flames as multiple pirate squadrons fought over her. *'Slaughter-class Cruiser ''Raging Valour' - One of the few in her class to end their career honourably, the ''Raging Valour served Battlefleet Deus for almost three millennia until - in M39 - she helped engage a vast chaos fleet in the Malta system. With the battle turning against the Imperials, the Raging Valour used her tremendous speed to roar into the middle of the enemy fleet, letting fly with her close-ranged weapons before emergency activating her own warp drive. Raging Valour and several chaos capital ships were immediately lost to the warp, and even the chaos Relictor-class Battleship Piety's End was severely damaged and forced to retreat. *'Dauntless-class Light Cruiser ''Opus Celeri' - This light cruiser gained fame during the fall of Triot. Even as the planet reeled from the initial invasion of roks, ever more ships of the great waaagh continued to arrive in increasing numbers. The ''Opus Celeri worked tirelessly against long odds to stall the vast ork fleet as long as possible, conducting countless hit & run attacks on kill kroozers and attack ships and buying Triot itself a lot of time. Ultimately the Opus Celeri met her end after a kill kroozer got lucky with its 'eavy gunz and shattered the Dauntless' hull. With grim determination the Opus Celeri rammed a nearby battlekroozer, detonating the plasma drives and consuming both ships in a mighty conflagration of flame and steel. *'Murder-class Cruiser ''Isabella's Sword' - This venerable ship was at the forefront of Saint Belisarius' Reclamation Crusade and lead the fight to reclaim dozens of worlds, before serving Battlefleet Deus honourably for many centuries. She met her end in 395.M40 when ''Isabella's Sword alone stood between a large wolfpack of Chaos Reavers and the agri world of Tagranus. The Murder-class Cruiser attacked without hesitation and obliterated the swarm of enemy raiders, but not before taking unsustainable damage in return. With the hulk drifting into the deep void beyond the system edge the crew of Isabella's Sword evacuated to Tagranus but her shipmaster - Captain Thorbjorn Knudsson - refused to abandon his beloved ship and went with her into the void. She has never been seen since. *'Overlord-class Battlecruiser ''Stormcaller' - This vessel was fresh from the drydock when she was drawn into the Belisarian Reclamation Crusade and conducted herself admirably as the 'Unbreakable's' wingman, defending the vast carrier with long range weapons and torpedoes. Unfortunately the young ''Stormcaller met her end before her time, intercepting a salvo of torpedoes meant for the Unbreakable that shattered her into a burning hulk. Despite the best efforts of the Imperial fleet the battle could not be concluded before the Stormcaller burned out, and the young battlecruiser was lost to the void. 'Navy Strongholds' *Athena Prime - Core Worlds *Praetor IX - Subsector Adamantis *Emperors Rest - Subsector Aeternus *Volitus - Subsector Cryptus *Sygma-477 - Subsector Ionium *Gradburg - Subsector Meridian *Malta - Subsector Tyranus 'Aeronautica Imperialis' The Aeronautica Imperialis is the branch of the Imperial Navy that oversees and undertakes atmospheric operations. In practice Aeronautica wings are attached to Imperial Guard deployments much like any other regiment would be, but technically they are part of the Imperial Navy command structure. In addition, Drop Regiments will have a number of Aeronautica personnel in their structure to operate their Valkyries & Vultures. Each Aeronautica wing is completely self-contained much like Imperial Guard regiments, with not just pilots and aircraft but also ground crew, communications operators and techpriests all required to build, maintain and operate an air base. Aeronautica wings vary in purpose just like Imperial Guard regiments as well. Fighter wings place emphasis on Lightnings & Thunderbolts, Bomber wings will have squadrons of Marauders, and Ground Attack wings will operate Avenger Strike Fighters and Marauder Destroyers. 'Attack Craft Corps' Also known as the ACC, the Attack Craft Corps is similar in structure and operation to the Aeronautica save that they operate the void-capable attack craft launched from voidships for use in space combat. Whilst they operate different squadrons of different machines there is a lot of mobility for personnel between the ACC and the Aeronautica, and oftentimes a voidship's Attack Craft pilots may pilot atmospheric craft when the situation demands it. The craft used by the ACC are invaraibly much larger and more powerful than atmospheric craft in the Aeronautica, so ACC squadrons are smaller in craft number though have more personnel in them. This results in a rank inflation in the ACC where each Lieutenant commands a single craft rather than a whole flight. 'Personnel' The vessels of Battlefleet Deus are crewed by millions of Ratings, NCOs and Officers who come from worlds all over the Sector. The duties of a ship's officers vary as much as the functions aboard a ship do. The junior officers will each oversee a single 'section' of a ship commanding anywhere between a few dozen and several hundred NCOs and Ratings. They in turn will be commanded by mid-level officers who control entire branches of the vessel's functions. The number of levels of mid-level command varies depending on the size of the ship, with Escorts rarely having more than one level between the Captain and their junior officers but Battleships having potentially a dozen links in their chain of command between the Captain and their ratings. Such a labyrinthine command structure requires a high level of competence and coherency so the Imperial Navy accepts only the best into their numbers, with less qualified recruits usually ending up in the Merchant Fleets. Officers are usually plucked from a number of potential sources including the Schola Progenium, but the most prestigious Naval academies in Sector Deus can be found on the worlds of Inaria, Praetor IX and Emperors Rest. As such a large proportion of the higher ranking Naval officers hail from these worlds, but the much larger number of junior- to mid-level officers can come from potentially any source. Some are humble Ratings who somehow proved themselves worthy of a commission, some may have served in the Merchant Fleets before transferring their skills to employment in the Navy, and others could be members of the Nobility who felt a duty to further the Emperor's glory (or their own, as a commission in any military branch is considered a great boon to the status of any dynasty). Below the officers are the NCOs and basic ratings. These masses of generally unskilled labour can be recruited from any source but most popular are space stations and orbital docks where the inhabitants already have experience living and working in the void. Among this motley and overwhelmingly-male collection the toughest and most competent will be given the opportunity to become one of the ship's armsmen. Armsmen maintain order aboard their ship and defend the vessel from enemy boarding actions, as well as board other ships should the situation call for it. Given the dangerous nature of their work the armsmen are paid substantially more than their crewmen comrades and have much shorter terms of employment before being discharged, as such the majority of mercenary groups in the Sector are made of former Naval armsmen. A subgroup of Naval Armsmen are Naval Stormtroopers. These elite soldiers are trained at specialised academies to the same grade as Imperial Guard Stormtroopers but with extra emphasis on close-quarters battle and void actions. The only Naval Stormtrooper academy in Sector Deus is located on Emperors Rest, and suitable graduates of the Schola Progenium are brought here in the same way as their Imperial Guard counterparts. Once their training is complete Naval Stormtroopers are second only to Astartes when it comes to boarding actions and highly proficient in ground operations as well. All Capital Ships in the Sector have at least a few squads of Stormtroopers on board, but the largest ships like the Unbreakable contain entire companies of the elite soldiers to defend their precious vessel. The third primary division of a ship's crew are Techpriests. Generally anywhere between 1 and 2 percent of any ship's crew will be techpriests and in Battlefleet Deus the majority of these come from Nestorium as part of the forge world's tithe. The scions of the machine-god usually keep to themselves aboard the ship, rarely leaving the region around the engines and reactor which they typically make their own. The techpriests concern themselves only with the wellbeing of their ship and keeping it running, and show general disinterest in the rest of the crew with the exception of the Captain, who speaks with the authority of the Omnissiah as well as the Emperor to all aboard. Finally, no ship would be warp-capable without a Navigator. Every warship in Battlefleet Deus has at least one Navigator, and most Capital Ships also carry additional Navigators in case the first is rendered incapable. These mutants always travel with a bodyguard of House Serfs, trained servant-soldiers who tend to the needs of the Navigator House they serve and defend their masters should the need arise. The Navigator/s and their serfs occupy quarters around the base of the ship's navigation spire/s, and when the time comes to enter the warp the Navigator will ascend the spire a where they can see the entirety of the warp before them and guide the ship through safely. When at warp every soul aboard the ship is at the whims of their Navigator so they are considered the ultimate authority - above even the Captain - when inside the immaterium. Battlefleet Deus sources the majority of its Navigators from House Jaenar. Battlefleet Deus also maintains its own fleet of transports, used primarily for transporting Imperial Guard troops, materiel and other Departmento Munitorum services. Though much smaller than the colossal Merchant Fleets the Imperial Navy operates a higher proportion of heavy transports for more reliable mass-transportation, and their convoys are well-guarded. Also among the crews of some Navy ships (mostly their transports) are vast banks of criminal slaves made up of deserters, captured pirates and crewmen convicted of some terrible crime. They perform the most menial of labour aboard the ship such as hauling supplies, unskilled maintainence and generally doing any task a passing officer or NCO demands of them. Such ships tend to keep a much larger complement of Armsmen to maintain order among the prisoner-slaves. 'Heirarchy & Notable Personnel ' Officers *'Lord Admiral' - The leader of all Naval assets in a given large sector. Notable Lord Admirals of Sector Deus: **'Tyrel Hagen' - The current Lord Admiral of Sector Deus. **'Nikolai Korgrim (''deceased)' - The first Lord Admiral of Sector Deus following the '''Beslisarian Reclamation Crusade' of M37. *'Admiral' - The leader of all Naval assets in a given subsector or subsectors (with the exception of the Core Worlds, for which the Lord Admiral holds direct control), or the entirety of a small sector. Notable Admirals of Sector Deus: **'Amos Heffin' - The current Admiral of Battlegroup Tyranus and almost ancient by mortal reckoning (born approx. 020.M41). Heffin began his Naval career as a lowly Maltan rating, but after many years as an NCO he almost miraculously managed to best a Chaos Space Marine in close combat during a boarding action and was given a commission for his heroism. The prestige from this almost-legendary feat sent him soaring up the ranks, and at almost a century of age he found himself as Admiral. Heffin has commanded the sizeable fleet that watches The Grave for over two further centuries since and as a native Maltan he sees containing the foul forces that dwell within as his ultimate duty, as such he declined several offers for promotion to Lord Admiral as it would drag his attention away from the warp storm. He commands from the Retribution-class Battleship Alexios Komnenos and among his greatest achievements is leading the defence of Malta's orbit from a massive renegade fleet and destroying it before any ship could make planetfall, with the Komnenos personally destroying or hulking a renegade Grand Cruiser, two Heavy Cruisers and half a dozen lesser capital ships. **'Cyra Xerant' - The current Admiral of Battlegroup Adamantis and a member of the Xerant Dynasty. Cyra oversees the defence of the galactic rim with his fleet constantly patrolling the edge of the sector. On occasion some scouting party of marauding xenos that occupy the rim will be detected, but Xerant's swift response quickly sends them running or destroyed. Cyra holds special hatred for the world of Haven, its independent nature making it a breeding ground and base for pirates that are a constant thorn in his side. But pacifying Haven would require an enormous investment of resources the Sector needs elsewhere. **'Ona Pelial' - The current Admiral of Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian. As an orphan in the Schola Progenium Pelial showed exceptional aptitude for naval command which was quickly picked up on by her Drill Abbess. She was transferred to the Naval Academy on Praetor IX and graduated as the best-in-class, earning her a presitgious commission in the Imperial Navy where she earned several promotions in quick succession. As commander of a patrol group in the space around Tartarus Pelial was responsible for relieving over a hundred Chartist vessels under attack by pirates, sending the raiding scum fleeing at the first sight of her light cruiser and its augmented engines with many ending up captured or destroyed. Over the course of thirty years Subsector Cryptus saw a 58% drop in piratical activity thanks to her efforts and Pelial was promoted to Admiral in response, making her the highest ranked female officer in the sector (which number roughly a fifth of all naval officers). She still usually commands from her modified Dauntless-class Light Cruiser Blade of Vengeance, which with 40% extra engine output is by far the swiftest capital ship in the Sector, and many a foolish raider has attempted to outrun Pelial only to find her ship actually overtaking them before disgorging waves of armsmen onto their hull to kill or capture the criminals within. Though for true fleet battles she transfers to Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian's flagship, the Mars-class Battlecruiser Hoplite. **'Agemmar Tenso' - The current Admiral of Battlegroup Ionium/Dominus/Aeternus (IDA). Tenso hails from a minor dynasty of the Nobility from Emperors Rest, and he was most of the way through training to become a Naval Stormtrooper when his strategic acumen was noticed and he was put into the naval officer academy instead. The highly-trained infantryman was uneasy in the classes of theory and politics and during duelling classes he became infamous for 'fighting dirty', never hesitating to knee the crotch or jab the throat of his opponent if it gave him the upper hand (just as he was trained to by the supremely pragmatic stormtrooper school). Nevertheless Agemmar's sheer talent could not be denied and he graduated exceptionally. After serving time as a junior officer in a painfully mundane border patrol ship, Tenso refused a promotion in exchange for a transfer to Subsector Tyranus in a risky gambit. However once he was a junior officer aboard one of the Lunar-class Cruisers patrolling the grave he proved his exceptional mettle and skill-at-arms, always volunteering to lead boarding parties and the first to the defense when his ship came under attack by raiders from the grave. Such fearlessness and skill earned him the respect of his commanders and Tenso rocketed up the ranks until he was Commodore and Admiral Heffin's XO/Master-at-Arms. When Admiral Sanforth, former commander of Battlegroup IDA, retired to govern Emperors Rest in 345.M41 Tenso was promoted to replace him on Heffin's recomendation. Thus far the only action his subsectors have faced is minor piracy in Dominus, but Tenso has refrained from simply obliterating Caseblanco as it would scatter the pirates there into a number of different bases and make them harder to detect and patrol against. *'Vice Admiral' - This rank is held by the second-in-command of a given Battlegroup, Vice Admirals are trusted subordinates of their Admirals who are dispatched to command the most vital operations that do not involve most of the Battlegroup (for which the Admiral themselves would command). Notable Vice Admirals of Sector Deus: **'Sagon Van Daur' - Second in command of Battlegroup Tyranus under Admiral Hefin. Van Daur commands from the Overlord-class Battlecruiser Forthright Intervention. Following the battle he was commended and befriended by the Ghosts of Retribution (with the help of a substantial wealth gift) and he helped train the crew of the Strike Cruiser Pax Sepulchrum to a high degree. **'Kavan Stowford' - The current Vice Admiral of Battlegroup Cryptus/Meridian under Admiral Pelial. Stowford commands the Mars-class Battlecruiser Hoplite. *'Rear Admiral '- Considered to be something of a dead end rank by the officers of the Imperial Navy. Oftentimes a Commodore can be perfectly proficient at small group tactics coordinating a handful of ships, yet fail when attempting to command larger fleets and battlegroups. Such Commodores will never be able to aquire a promotion to Vice-Admiral (and to Admiral from there), so as they approach seniority they are instead promoted to the position of Rear Admiral. Rear Admirals are static, rearline positions commanding major naval bases and anchorages, where bureaucratic skill and experience with naval logistics is the priority. Notable Rear Admirals of Sector Deus: **'Ulrik Sallay' - Commandant of Steelhaven Anchorage over Athena Prime. **'Torus Bane' - Planetary Governor of Gradburg. **'Kawlis Rawne' - Commandant of the Volitus Anchorage over Volitair. *'Commodore' - This rank is held by Captains who - either through long service or exceptional skill - have proven themselves more skilled and capable than their fellows. Small forces consisting of multiple capital ships and/or escort squadrons will be led by a Commodore. The commandants of major static naval installations are often given the rank of Commodore as well, so they may wield authority over docked Captains. Notable Commodores of Sector Deus: **'Nadia Xerant*' - Serves under her father Cyra in Subsector Adamantis. Currently commands the Lux Adamantis as flagship of a heavy patrol group that guards the trade routes of the Subsector. **'Strant Marsdan' - Commander of the Drakovich and its escorts in the Core Worlds battlegroup. Cdre Marsdan is grim & determined just like his vessel and has little mercy upon raiders whenever he finds them. **'François Chatelíon' - Commander of Tyranus Patrol Group Primus, Chatelíon oversees the patrol group from the bridge of the Stellaris. **'Tanner Arliss' - Commandant of Shield Stations Quartus & Quintus. Cdre Arliss is a fiercely devoted officer who works tirelessly to keep raiding parties from The Grave contained. *'Captain' - Rank held by those who command either a single capital ship or a squadron of escorts. In the Aeronautica and Attack Craft Corps units a Captain will be in charge of multiple wings. Notable Captains: **'Tangent Gray - '''Experienced shipmaster hailing from the distant world of Elysia. Commands the Overlord-class Battlecruiser ''Iron Will. **'Havern Locke - '''Major contributor to the defense of Artoria in Operation Wild Hunt as Captain of Amber Squadron, Locke was given command of the Lunar-Class Cruiser ''Battleborn as reward for his conduct. **'Keryl Mardon' - Commander of the Unbreakable's Attack Craft complement, Keryl Mardon is one of the most feared attack craft pilots in the Sector. His Fury Interceptor is lined with impressive kill tallies that even include dark eldar Raptor space fighters. **'Bernarde Sauvac' - Current commander of Ragnarok Squadron. Sauvac is a highly talented hunter with an instinct for stalking and ambushing larger enemies. However he is a nobleman from a long line of naval officers and carries a not-inconsiderable amount of arrogance along with his skill. **'Andreus Storr' - The current shipmaster of the Vorpal, Cpt. Storr is a dependable captain with a strong loyalty to Lord Admiral Hagen. **'Sylvia Armande' - Shipmaster of the Austere Sacrament. Armande was a young but skilled officer with an impressive orknoid kill tally before she chose to go absent without leave with her vessel in early 349.M41. Assumed renegade and mutineer, Armande's name is no longer spoken in respectable circles save to express disgust, and many naval officers would dearly love to hunt her down. *'Commander' - Rank held by those who command an escort or are executive officer of a capital ship. Among the transport fleet Commanders usually hold authority over the entire convoy of up to twenty or more transport ships. In the Aeronautica and Attack Craft Corps each full wing (~4 active squadrons) is led by a Commander. Notable Commanders: **'Dana Loria' - Current Attack Craft Corps leader on the Prosecutor. Commander Loria is an ace pilot and she is equally capable of downing enemy fighters in a Fury or bombing enemy capital ships in a Starhawk. **'Maxwell Sabacus' - Current commander of Hand IV, the fourth ship of the Hand of Saint Luripedes Squadron. Cdr Sabacus earned notability among his peers when - during a wide sweep of multiple systems by the squadron - Hand IV ''encontered three raiders. Under Cdr Sabacus' skilled command ''Hand IV bested its opponents single-handedly, turning almost certain defeat into victory. **'Frederick Anaheim' - The current commander of the Wages of Labour and the numerous other transports that travel with it. A notoriously cruel and vicious man, Cdr Anaheim has styled himself more like an Arbites Warden as he lays orders & punishments upon his criminal crew. **'Shen Tenso (''deceased)' - An ancestor of Admiral Agemmar Tenso. Shen Tenso served as the executive officer of the ''Pillar of the Righteous for many decades in early M40, earning herself a reputation as a skilled, competent officer. However the noble beauty's penchant for risque socialite behaviour was very unbecoming of a Naval officer and saw herself come close to dishonourable discharge multiple times. She would eventually redeem herself in the eyes of her superiors (and indeed the entire sector) when - during an attack by a large orknoid fleet - Cdr Tenso volunteered to personally lead a platoon of Naval Stormtroopers on a raid to disable the plasma drive of a massive orknoid battlekroozer. The raid was a success though Cdr Tenso was severely wounded by a Nob in the process, requiring three limb replacements and extensive reconstruction. Following this she was given an honourable discharge and would go on to use her reputation to greatly increase the wealth of the Tenso Dynasty. *'Lieutenant-Commander' - Mid-level officers. Usually executive officers of escorts and multiple-section commanders in capital ships. Among the transport fleet Lieutenant-Commanders are shipmasters of individual transports. In the Aeronautica and Attack Craft Corps each full squadron is led by a Lieutenant-Commander. **'Hideo Nishura (''deceased)' - The voidmaster of a Lunar-class cruiser during the Second Ionian Crusade. Following the deaths of his commanding officers after an unlucky hit to the bridge Lt Cdr Nishura assumed command and directed the stricken ship deep into enemy battle lines, inflicting a terrible toll upon the rebel fleet before being destroyed. Lt Cdr Nishura remained behind as what remained of the crew evacuated, piloting from the helm to the end. *'Lieutenant''' - Junior officers who command a large section of ratings, such as a macrobattery or a company of armsmen. In the Aeronautica each 'flight' (~5 aircraft) is commanded by a Lieutenant, while in the Attack Craft Corps each Attack Craft is piloted & commanded by a Lieutenant (as ACC craft are much larger and more powerful than Aeronautica craft). **'Johann Shrike' - Currently a leader of a Naval Stormtrooper company aboard the Alexios Komnenos, Lt. Shrike is a fierce, skilled fighter who faces heretical horrors without fear. *'Ensign' - Also known as Sub-Lieutenant, this rank is awarded to those who graduate the academy and are finally given a real command. Ensigns usually command smaller sections such as a block of turret operators or a platoon of armsmen. Many Ensigns serve in the transport fleet to prove themselves at least vaguely competent before being transferred to a warship, as such much of the transport fleet's officer corps consists of Ensigns. In the Attack Craft Corps Ensigns often serve as co-pilots, while in the Aeronautica they pilot single-seat aircraft. *'Midshipman' - The rank held by cadets in Naval officer academies and other situations where an officer is not yet considered qualified for command. Non-Commissioned Officers & Ratings/Armsmen *'Warrant Officer' - Overseers for masses of ratings who enforce discipline through lash, charisma, intimidation or any combination thereof. Warrant Officers are those rare few experienced ratings that officers trust to maintain control and command over large numbers of other ratings by themselves. Warrant Officers are invariably tough & grizzled members of the Imperial Navy who have seen countless patrols and combat actions, and it is a foolish rating who crosses a Warrant Officer. *'Chief Petty Officer' - Experienced NCOs who know all the ins and outs of naval life and duties. Typically each Ensign or Lieutenant will always be accompanied by a Chief Petty Officer. It is the CPOs duty to assist & advise the potentially-inexperienced officer in their duties as well as protect them from any unruly ratings. *'Petty Officer' - Each Petty Officer commands a team of Voidsmen/Armsmen (both Able and Ordinary). While the size of this team can vary depending on the task they are responsible for, it is usually somewhere between 10 and 20 ratings. *'Able Voidsman/Armsman' - More experienced and/or skilled Voidsmen are given the rank of Able Voidsman, valued as much for its seniority & higher pay as for the fact that it makes a voidsman a less expendable commodity. *'Voidsman/Armsman' - The lowest official rank on an Imperial Navy ship. Armsman technically outrank Voidsmen in combat situations. *'Slave' - An unofficial rank and the lowest of the low aboard an Imperial Navy vessel. The general treatment of slaves is extremely poor but the armsmen assigned to prevent any mutinies among them also serve to keep them somewhat safe from predations of the ships own crew. This only remains true for slaves who were once Naval personnel such as deserters, those who struck an officer or killed another rating. Slaves who were once pirates garner no such protection from their guards, and angry ratings raiding the slave pens to beat, abuse, rape and sometimes just murder former-pirates is far from rare. Battlefleet Paxia Battlefleet Paxia serves and protects Sector Paxia. Due to the Sector's nature, only a dozen cruisers comprise the fleet's battle line, while the vast majority of the fleet is comprised of light cruisers and escort squadrons. It is not uncommon for Battlefleet Paxia to answer calls for aid from neighboring sectors with a swarm of escort squadrons led by a light cruiser. Taskforce Corgus Seconded from neighboring Battlefleet Paxia, Taskforce Corgus serves and protects Sector Corgus. Category:Imperial Navy